Adequate sleep is essential to all your vital processes, especially your fertility. Sleep deprivation impacts your mood, metabolism and menstrual cycles, leading to hormonal changes that may delay conception. In one study, researchers queried sleep deprived women in professions where late night shift work is common. Half of these women reported irregular cycles and ovulation patterns, linked with a reduction in the hormone “leptin” which is regulated by sleep. All the more reason to get a solid eight hours of rest and request breakfast in bed when planning for pregnancy.